Evaluation

For this project we were briefed to create a project under the theme of DNA with the deliverable of creating something that would be displayed in our end of year exhibition making this project one of our most important of the year.

The brief was quite wide open and allowed me to explore any pathway I felt was appropriate concerning DNA and myself. I began looking at my racial history and my family’s origins but I found it quite a generic and obvious pathway to further as I try to further myself through every brief. This being my first ever exhibition too I wanted it to be special and something that I felt an emotional connection with. So I decided to choose how and IF DNA and sexual orientation can link with one another. At the beginning of this theme I personally had no idea and wanted to find out the links that DNA can have to change an individuals sexual orientation.

I searched through many articles and textbooks to examine what does and could influence it and found an element of the X chromosome, the XQ28 is usually larger in homosexual males effecting brain function towards a more feminine brain thus leaving males attracted to the pheromones of other men. Once I’d found the key features that I felt were not only text book explanations but also I felt were true in my own experience I began designing. Finding the right information brought up many problems as there are many anti-homosexual campaigns and articles around that are prime examples of why this awareness campaign was so important to me.

My main design influences came from James Auger, Strange Attractors, Clemento and Damien Hirst. I wanted my animation done first as it would a) be the longest component of my design stages and b) the animation needs to work and if I’d previously designed things to go into my animation it may not work, so creating that first left me with visuals and an animation that fit and consistently communicate the same theme. Strange Attractors’s TypeLab was a crucial point of interest for my exhibition space. It helped me derive layers in my piece which my animation had. It immediately connected towards the pheromones of my animation and how I could incorporate typography into my piece as small amounts are evident so far based upon typography found in my textbooks.

My typography element within my exhibition comes from Dear Boy and is a quote by Sir Philip Sidney called ‘The Bargain’. I wanted an element of love to feature within my piece as it is a huge contributing factor to my theme. Not only the statistics of homosexuality and its DNA contributions but a more human approach to love within homosexuality rather than the mechanical charts and textbook knowledge which is quite evident in the animation section.

In general my theme and exhibition concepts have gone well. I’m hoping my animation isn’t too vague as it is just imagery/scenes thus an additional A5 leaflet to place next to the exhibition to give a feel of an actual awareness campaign and also to make it very clear what my campaign is.

The plan for the exhibition space is to use MDF wood 2m x 2m for the main background piece and additional 2m x 2m. I’m hoping I haven’t been overly ambitious and can successfully create this final stretch of the project.